Palestinian Prisoners Day

On April 17, Palestinians commemorate Prisoners Day. They do so annually. They've done it since 1979. It marks Mahmoud Hijazi's release. Israel freed him in its first ever prisoner swap.

Addameer honored thousands in Israel's gulag. They're held lawlessly. Now's "the time to hold the Occupation accountable for crimes against the prisoners and detainees," it said.

Freeing them remains a top priority. "Their struggle is central to the liberation of Palestinian land and the return of its people. It represents the frontline of peace and justice."

Al Mezan's Samir Zaquot expressed "concern for the detainees’ health and lives and our solidarity with Palestinian and Arab detainees in Israeli prisons, and hold the Israeli authorities responsible for their well-being."

"We strongly condemn Israel’s gross abuses of Palestinian detainees, starting with the Unlawful Combatant Law, the policy of administrative detention, and other procedures that violate detainees' rights, including solitary confinement, medical negligence, barring of family visitation, and other practices."

Al Mezan "demands that the international community - especially the signatory parties to the Geneva Conventions - put pressure on the occupying state and force it to respect its obligations under international law, and to treat detainees humanely in keeping with the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners issued in 1955, and other relevant international standards."

"There must also be steps taken towards guarantees of the release of all Palestinian prisoners, especially those thrown in prison without charge or fair trial, including appeal to all means of defense."

Since Israel's 1967 occupation, over 750,000 Palestinians were imprisoned. Israel did so lawlessly. Around 40% of Palestinian males were affected. Children aged 10 or younger are treated like adults. Around 10,000 women were abused horrifically like men.

Since the September 2000 second Intifada, around 78,000 Palestinians were incarcerated. They include over 9,000 children, about 950 women, and over 50 Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) members.

Since 1967, over 50,000 Palestinians were held administratively. Israel did so uncharged and untried. Many are held longterm. Nearly half were imprisoned since September 2000.

Currently about 4,900 Palestinians are incarcerated. They include 235 children, 14 women, 168 administrative detainees, two former ministers, and 14 legislators.

About 530 have life sentences. Another 77 have been held for over 20 years. Twenty-five lost freedom for over 25 years.

Over 200 were martyred in prison. Death resulted either from torture, murder, willful medical neglect, or multiple forms of abuse.

Since January 1, 2011, five prisoners were martyred. Israel doesn't care if they all live or die. Horrific ill-treatment reflects official policy.

Over 1,000 prisoners currently suffer from various diseases. Many are serious. One hundred and seventy need urgent surgery. Treatment when given is deplorable. Often it's denied. Fundamental human rights are violated.

Israel spurns international law with impunity. Palestinians suffer and die. Imprisonment is hellish.

Horrific conditions include severe overcrowding, poor ventilation and sanitation, no change of clothes, adequate clothing, wooden planks with thin mattresses and filthy blankets, inadequate food in terms of quality, quantity or conformance with dietary requirements, poor medical care, and restricted or no access to family members and counsel.

Isolation is worse. Alone or with one other prisoner, lockdown runs 23 hours daily. Most cells are 1.5 by 2 meters to 3 by 3.5. Little light or air gets in. Conditions resemble entombment. International law is violated.

Israel willfully inflicts pain and suffering. Torture is official policy. So is medical neglect. Long delays are commonplace. Prisoners get substandard treatment or none at all. Transfers to prison hospitals take weeks or months.

Hundreds of Palestinian prisoners suffer needlessly. Many are disabled. Some are paralyzed. Prison authorities don't help.

Medical providers don't care. They're part of the problem, not the solution. They do more harm than good. They're complicit with prison authorities. They're involved in torture, other physical and emotional abuse.

They include "violations of the right to health of hunger-striking prisoners and detainees, and violations of medical ethics and of professional health standards."

"Measures which amounted to medical, ethical and human rights violations endangered the lives of hunger striking prisoners almost to the point of death, and prevented prisoners' access to independent medical advice and consultation."

"The failure of various institutions to appropriately address violations gives authorities a green light to continue crushing the rights of one of the most vulnerable populations."

On April 17, activists and families rallied in Ramallah, other West Bank locations and Gaza. Around 3,000 Palestinian prisoners observed the day by refusing food.

Children in Gaza City released thousands of balloons. Each bore a prisoner's name. Rafah solidarity gatherings were held. A sit-in was held at East Jerusalem's Damascus Gate.

Hundreds of prisoner families held their own in central Ramallah's Arafat Square. Afterwards they marched toward nearby Ofer Prison.

Other events marked the day. Demonstrators gathered in Hebron. They lit a "freedom torch" in front of Arafat Jaradat's home. Israel tortured him to death.

Amjad al-Najjar heads the Prisoners Club Hebron branch. On Voice of Palestine radio he said:

"It was a symbolic event to deliver a clear message, firstly to the Israeli side and secondly to the international community, that it is intolerable for us to continue receiving our prisoners as corpses."

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